Season ticket prices announced - merged thread.

[pauliewalnuts]

Why?

Some people can't afford to go to football, but going to sit in Spain every week instead of going to Villa Park is not supporting you club really is it?

I'm not trying to pick fights with anyone, I just want Villa Park full, hopefully bringing the great atmospheres back which can only be an encouragement to the players.

Isn't it possible to support your club without going to all the matches?

Or without going to any, for that matter?

It's nice that the Villa are, seemingly, the most important thing in the world for you, but for the vast majority of people, that's not the case, and supporting the club has to take lots of forms so we can do all the other things we want / need to do.

[Fergal]

I can hardly afford to get to a game let alone buy a season ticket.  As weekends are part of my normal working week I would have to take a day off, drive around 180 miles, pay for my families tickets, eat at least one meal out. 
Heskey earns in a week what I earn in 3 years.  It is obscene and just plain wrong, however if I had the funds I would be there every week.

[Matt C]

Will the prices go up? Almost certainly
Have we had a woeful season? Yup
Is football a depressingly money obsessed beast? Indeed
Will I renew for another 9 months of torment? Of course

[Legion]

Why?

Some people can't afford to go to football, but going to sit in Spain every week instead of going to Villa Park is not supporting you club really is it?

I'm lucky enough to have a ST. However I also enjoy travelling. No matter where I go I still support the Villa the same way as when I sit in the Upper Holte. Whether sitting in front of a TV or waiting for text updates from my friends. Not everyone can attend games.

[Shrek]

Well guys my job is done, Holtepaul is now renewing, out of habit this time but hopefully out of passion next time.

Seriously though, Aston Villa isn't the centre of my universe, but it is my favourite hobby and I haven't lost any of my enthusiasm this season, I am naively convinced we have a chance every season of achieving something.

[PaulMcGrathsNo5Shirt]

I'm 38, had a season ticket for all bar one season since I was 16. I'll not be renewing.

It isn't as much Villa and in particular the owners I have a problem with as they've been brilliant. The problem I have is football. The likes of Beye, Heskey, Warnock, Dunne, Collins, Carew, and Stephen Ireland taking a fortune from this club and not giving a shit makes me want to spend my season ticket money on a golf membership next year.

Football is boring and predictable, the same teams finish where they do in the league every season pretty much, the same teams win the cups and our manager would rather see us finish 15th than try and win a cup.

I love Villa, and it will hurt like hell not going, but i'll pick the midweek games where it £10-£15 to get in as this is a more suitable price to pay.

[Dave Cooper please]

I'm renewing what ever the price. I'm Villa till I die, not till it doesn't suit me.

Most of those on here who say they will not / are thinking of not renewing will have said something similar at some point in the past, times change, circumstances change, other things take priority.
Please don't be judgemental or go all "better fan than yow" on them, watching football is a hobby, nothing more.

[UsualSuspect]

I'm 38, had a season ticket for all bar one season since I was 16. I'll not be renewing.

It isn't as much Villa and in particular the owners I have a problem with as they've been brilliant. The problem I have is football. The likes of Beye, Heskey, Warnock, Dunne, Collins, Carew, and Stephen Ireland taking a fortune from this club and not giving a shit makes me want to spend my season ticket money on a golf membership next year.

Football is boring and predictable, the same teams finish where they do in the league every season pretty much, the same teams win the cups and our manager would rather see us finish 15th than try and win a cup.

I love Villa, and it will hurt like hell not going, but i'll pick the midweek games where it £10-£15 to get in as this is a more suitable price to pay.

I do the same

Fortunately I can afford a ST but due to the kick off times and dates it clashes with other things I like to do in my free time. I also think that barring probably 3 teams the standard of the alleged best league in the world is fucking rubbish.

Plus as already mentioned when I see shit players who don't give a toss earning more in a week than I do in 2 years it leaves a bitter taste.

[TimTheVillain]

Slight increase I reckon.  Just a hunch.

Hope not, it's not justified and not a good time to increase prices at all.

[Concrete John]

I'm 38, had a season ticket for all bar one season since I was 16. I'll not be renewing.

It isn't as much Villa and in particular the owners I have a problem with as they've been brilliant. The problem I have is football. The likes of Beye, Heskey, Warnock, Dunne, Collins, Carew, and Stephen Ireland taking a fortune from this club and not giving a shit makes me want to spend my season ticket money on a golf membership next year.

Football is boring and predictable, the same teams finish where they do in the league every season pretty much, the same teams win the cups and our manager would rather see us finish 15th than try and win a cup.

I love Villa, and it will hurt like hell not going, but i'll pick the midweek games where it £10-£15 to get in as this is a more suitable price to pay.

Although I will be renewing, I find it very hard to argue with any of that.

Except the golf thing - I hate golf!

[Villa'Zawg]

...

Funnily enough it is Randy that has disheartened me through no fault of his own. For years upon years (and I bet I am not the only one here) I honestly thought it was Ellis that was keeping us from greatness, Every year I thought, yeah , we are crap now, but as soon as that geriatric old fart goes, we will be there challenging Man U.

That thought got me through the dark days of GT2 (especially when he said it as well !!), DOL and others

Then came Randy - and I honestly thought this was it. There was "that" speech from the Chief Exec at the time (cant remember the name) about the "Villa were champions of Europe and we will put them back there" or whatever the words were.
The "Proud History Bright Future" stuff - god it was great

I believed it - my enthusiasm was never higher, I was going around spouting to all and sundry how we were back. Basically doing what man City fans are doing now.

And here we are , 5 yrs on nearly, and we are in the exact same situation we were 5 yrs ago, players leaving us as they want silverware, us fighting relegation and the fans wanting blood.

But to me, it isn't just the present I am let down with, I have lost the dream for the future.

But yeah, I'll be there probably in August, but as I say , mainly now out of habit and the fact it is a way of bonding me, my kids with my 64 yr old dad - not because I love anyone who puts on the colours I love - coz to be honest, I hate a lot of them now and everything they stand for.

There you go - heartfelt and honest !

That is a terrific post and expresses my own feeling about the situation at Villa far, far better than I could have done myself.

[Gareth]

Let me say first of all that I will be renewing, I’ve always said the day I walk up the steps and see the pitch and don’t think ‘bring it on’ is the day that I stop attending game, however I am interested in whether the increased usage in pubs of the Greek satellites will have any real effect on both season tickets and matchday attendance?  As football gets more and more expensive to attend, even if the ticket price doesn’t go up you can guarantee fuel / train tickets / bus tickets / food / drinks / programme will do the 2/3 hours in the pub option will become more attractive / affordable to many.

We might have picked a very bad year to have dropped the standard!!

[Brend'Watkins]

Of course I'm renewing.  Watching Villa on TV simply does not compare to watching Villa live.  Besides, watching Villa on the TV sends me mental.

Going back to holtepaul's post and his disillusionment with it all, would he prefer that Villa were now like ManU with a half empty ground before the end of a European cup semi final which they'd won so convincingly?  The journey is much better than arriving, our motor has broken down but we'll be up and running again soon.

And another thing, sunshine gets boring after a while, going to the same Spanish bar does too, as do airports and everything associated with them.  However, for me, the pub before and after the game and going to Villa Park with friends I can see myself never tiring off.

[JJ-AV]

I'm going to renew, but it's going to be tough. It's my last year of Uni. (providng I pass!) and I've kept it for the last two years, paid upfront.

If I can't get part-time work this Summer (noone needs a data inputter near the City centre do they?) I'll have to examine the installments option, and hope it falls inline with my loan payments next year.

[Lucky Eddie]

I pretty much loathe professional football, if I'm honest, I have done for years.

I won't be renewing because of the football, I'll be renewing for the mates/family thing that makes me who I am.

God; I hope and pray more than anyone that my beloved football club play with style and flair and entertain me and my children for nine months to justify the enormous expense of blind renewal but lets face it, how many times has that happened in the last twenty years?

I hope for many more miserable seasons at Villa Park:- adding to the countless memories of great times I have spent with my loved ones, if Villa manage to chip in with the odd pot now and then; then frankly it's just the icing on an already splendid cake of life.